Sonic Reducer

What began as a private session for producer Mark Weber and musicians Michael Anthony (guitar), Michael Glynn (bass) and Cal Haines (drums) turned out to be too damned good to keep to themselves. So the beautifully packaged album First Take, with inside-story liner notes from Weber, is now publicly available. The eight first-take trios, plus a solo track, feature old-school tunes played with smooth, sophisticated swing and swagger. You can hear them listening to one another, embellishing idea after idea as seven-minute tracks whiz by in a flash. Your ears will love you for dropping the needle on this one. (Mel Minter)

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion returns from an eight-year hiatus with 12 tracks exemplifying the inexorable spirit of the bluesy, punky rock and roll trio. The band is no stranger to noteworthy collaborations, but this album—mixed and produced by Spencer himself—is pure, unadulterated JSBX. Fantastically grimy opener “Black Mold” name-drops a host of influences, including Ornette Coleman, Magic Sam and Little Richard. Other standout tracks include aggressive, nostalgic anthem “Bag of Bones” and hole-in-the-wall psych rocker “Black Thoughts.” Buy it from the JSBX website (tinyurl.com/jsbxbbq) to score an album art-emblazoned barbecue apron. (Samantha Anne Carrillo)